


Anoesis

by Laora



Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: 1 Sentence Fiction, 300 of them, Gen, expect run-on sentences in here but i'm proud of them, old story cross-posted from FFN
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-18
Updated: 2013-12-18
Packaged: 2020-12-14 21:23:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 20,061
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21022487
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Laora/pseuds/Laora
Summary: Sometimes, little glimpses into a world are more than enough.





	1. 1-50

**Author's Note:**

> Written in tandem with sapphireswimming's [Apricity](https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9611048/1/Apricity)!
> 
> Some headcanons are included in here, but nothing that directly contradicts Tolkien's canon, as far as I know.

**1.) Hail—**

Dáin Ironfoot sits upon the throne of Erebor and knows he does not deserve it; Thorin and his sister-sons gave themselves to this mountain with heart and soul and body, and  _ they _ are the ones who should be hailed as kings.

**2.) Twain—**

Fíli and Kíli have always been inseparable; they fight and live and breathe (and die) as brothers, because that is what they are and what they always will be.

**3.) Blade—**

A young Fíli watches Dwalin fight in the sparring ring with an axe in each hand, and knows instantly that he wants to do the same; after all, two swords must be better than one.

**4.) Hidden—**

He cowers in the shadows of his cave, nothing but leathery skin and brittle bone, repeating a single phrase like a prayer: "My precious...my precious..."

**5.) Key—**

Balin recognizes it as soon as Gandalf pulls it from his robes: it is the key to Erebor, to their home, to their ancestors, to their future...(and perhaps to their doom, as well.)

**6.) Above—**

Thorin looks down on Bard and Thranduil from the battlements of his mountain—and he  _ revels _ in this, that after a century and a half of being forced into subservience, he has finally reclaimed the glory his people deserve.

**7.) Twinkling—**

Ori never met his father, but he likes to think that he would be a little like Gandalf: irritable and stubborn, yes, but with twinkling, kind eyes and a demeanor that radiates reassurance and hope.

**8.) Laughter—**

It's been months, now, since the Battle of Five Armies...but sometimes, Dwalin swears he hears Fíli and Kíli's cheerful banter echoing from just around the corner.

**9.) Lost—**

Thorin vows that if he ever finds their burglar's hobbit hole, he'll murder Gandalf for not giving him clearer directions through this maze of a village.

**10.) Feet—**

Nori asks Bilbo one day why he does not wear shoes; Dori almost smacks him for his rudeness, but Bilbo only laughs and offers to show them the soles of his feet, which he is sure are superior to any boots the dwarves could ever make.

**11.) Burden—**

Bilbo may not be a skilled warrior, may never have a place among dwarves, but he will do all he can to help the Company...and after the fight on the cliff, Thorin realizes that he truly cannot ask for anything more.

**12.) Race—**

Dwalin has met men and elves and orcs and goblins, and every one of them has looked down on him for who he is; he's honestly surprised, then, when Bilbo Baggins does not seem to care that he is a dwarf, and is only angry that he ate the rest of his dinner.

**13.) Dust—**

Bilbo has been back at Bag End for less than twenty-four hours; he's encountered missing furniture and thieving relatives and general depravity...but he only breaks down when he sees his ransacked pantry, completely untouched by his neighbors, covered in a thick layer of dust.

**14.) Ring—**

It's such a small thing, this trinket he stole from the creature under the mountain...but Bilbo doesn't think he's cared more for anything in his entire life.

**15.) Braid—**

Kíli remembers the cruelty he endured when he was young, remembers the way his body was beaten and his braids were ripped out by the roots...and only smiles wanly at Bilbo when the hobbit asks why his hair is so unadorned.

**16.) Knitted—**

Ori knows that the others poke fun at him behind his back, knows that his cardigans and scarves do not garner him favor among the great warriors of the Company...but the smiles on his brothers' faces when he knits them something new make it all worthwhile.

**17.) Enough—**

It's only when Bombur opens the last of their packs, digging desperately in the dim light of Mirkwood, that he realizes the food is gone.

**18.) Foreign—**

Young Hamfast Gamgee watches warily as several strange, hairy Big Folk enter Bag End; he doesn't know who they are, and he can only hope that they will leave Mister Bilbo in peace by morning.

**19.) Legendary—**

Bard remembers clearly the tales of the great Kings under the Mountain of old; when he meets Thorin Oakenshield—half-drowned and starved as he is—he has no doubt that this king will be just as great as his forefathers.

**20.) Silver—**

The miners of Ered Luin have struck upon a new vein of silver...but when Thorin is called to inspect it, all he can think is that in Erebor, they would be finding this a hundred times over in gold.

**21.) Stop—**

Elrond does not deem this quest wise, but he knows the dwarves will never listen to his counsel; so he does not try to stop them, says nothing of the carnage he sees in his dreams, and can only hope that their journey does not end in heartbreak for the sons of Durin.

**22.) Chase—**

Dwalin is grudgingly impressed when the hobbit catches up with them that morning—last night he saw Bilbo Baggins, naive and comfortable with his easy life in Hobbiton; today, he watches him cast all of that away, chasing after strangers to accompany them on a quest from which he will likely never return.

**23.) Pointed—**

The first thing Thorin notices about their burglar is his ears, and he hates the hobbit even before they speak two words to each other.

**24.) Rush—**

Beorn makes his way through the battlefield as quickly as he can; he heard the strangled cries, knows that Thorin Oakenshield has fallen...but when he finally arrives—sees the king on the ground, taking harsh, shallow breaths with spears in his gut, and the two young princes still and silent mere feet away—he knows he is too late to save any of them.

**25.) Family—**

Bilbo doesn't mind listening to Glóin and Bombur talk about their wives and children, because if only for a while, it allows him to feel like he's a part of that family; after all, his parents are long dead, and too often, the empty silence of Bag End is deafening.

**26.) Enemy—**

Thranduil does not like Thorin Oakenshield; the dwarf is far too stubborn and arrogant for the two of them to ever get along...but he never considered themselves  _ enemies, _ never imagined that he would be here, standing at the foot of the mountain, threatened with war over a few piles of gold.

**27.) Air—**

Dori can feel himself panicking as the tree creaks and tilts ever-downward; he forces himself to focus  _ (if he fails, Ori dies) _ , holds onto Gandalf's staff for dear life, and makes sure he does not look down at the empty air beneath his feet.

**28.) Truth—**

Thorin knows that there is no way Fíli and Kíli would allow themselves to be left behind in Ered Luin—but if he's completely honest with himself, he also knows that he's likely leading them to their deaths...and he would never forgive himself, should they die chasing his own foolish dreams.

**29.) Madness—**

Thorin is ninety-five when he becomes King of Durin's Folk, for his grandfather is slain and his father is lost; he remembers clearly the great ring upon their fingers, remembers the slow growth of depravity in their eyes, and vows that he will never fall so far as to lose himself to that greed.

**30.) Stuck—**

The next thing Dwalin knows after falling asleep in Mirkwood, he's nauseous and disoriented; but he doesn't panic until he realizes he can't move, his vision is black, and he can hear loud chittering coming from all around him.

**31.) Box—**

Bilbo returns to Bag End to find his possessions packed away in boxes by his relatives, but he can't muster the energy to care...not when his first thought is that  _ if he changes his mind, it'll be easier to bring this all back to Erebor. _

**32.) Happiness—**

Bilbo can see a marked difference between his companions, even early on in the journey: the older dwarves are heavily burdened by their memories, while Fíli and Kíli smile brighter, laugh louder, and are quicker to accept him...and he thinks that if only the others could let go of their pasts, it would be a merrier world.

**33.) Song—**

One night, Bofur asks Bilbo whether hobbits enjoy singing; he's not sure how to reply, because they  _ do _ —Bilbo knows countless drinking songs, party songs, birthday songs and wedding songs and funeral songs—but none carry the same weight that the dwarves' do, and he's hesitant to share when their music is so much grander than his own.

**34.) Exotic—**

Kíli will never admit it aloud—least of all to his uncle—but during their stay in Rivendell, he cannot help but think that the elves and their fortress hold an exotic sort of beauty.

**35.) Stone—**

His elders speak of the way Erebor is calling to them, of the beautiful songs she sings...but no matter how hard he tries to listen, Fíli  _ (the crown prince _ ) is deaf to the secrets of his uncle's mountain.

**36.) Moonlight—**

Kíli, of course, is a dwarf—he's created to live under mountains, to look up and see only tons upon tons of stone...but he finds that he's never calmer than when he's outside, under the stars, with only his brother's calming presence for company.

**37.) Shift—**

The last thing Bifur remembers is the orc running at him, axe in hand; when he next wakes, his entire world is the agony splitting his head, his distinctly muddled thoughts, and the frantic voices of his cousins as the outside world passes him by.

**38.) Harmony—**

Bilbo never expected that the dwarves—the raucous, unruly dwarves who all but destroyed his home—could make such beautiful music...and he thinks that this, in part, is what eventually convinces him to follow after them.

**39.) Death—**

Óin is a healer; he has seen too much death to grieve in the aftermath of the great battle...but when his brother and Dori carry in the  _ (bloody, broken) _ corpses of Fíli and Kíli, he finds he cannot hold back his tears any longer.

**40.) Perfection—**

Thorin dreams of it, more and more often as they draw closer to the mountain; it's all he can think about, the iridescence of its smooth surface, its perfect cut despite never passing under the hands of a craftsman...he thinks he would do anything to give the Arkenstone to the line of Durin once again.

**41.) Plan—**

Thorin has never met Gandalf the Grey, but he knows the wizard as soon as he sees him in that tavern in Bree; so he sits down across from him, tankard of ale in hand, and asks bluntly whether he'd be willing to help his people reclaim their home.

**42.) Retreat—**

Dwalin doesn't think he's ever felt so helpless as when he stands in the safety of the elf-clearing, watching the spiders retreat from the magic surrounding them and from the hobbit's stinging blade.

**43.) Destination—**

Bofur has never seen Erebor—his ancestors hailed from Khazad-dûm, and the Lonely Mountain was lost years before he was born; but when Thorin comes to him with plans of a quest to reclaim it, he can't help but associate Erebor with an inexplicable sense of  _ home... _ and he signs his contract without a second of hesitation.

**44.) Shaking—**

Kíli can barely see straight as he's led through the winding passages of the Mirkwood palace; his legs are trembling near-uncontrollably, and he feels like he's going to be sick from the spiders' venom...and maybe that's a good enough excuse for why he doesn't realize who has captured them, not until he's looking up at an imposing figure who can only be Thranduil Oropherion.

**45.) Fog—**

Gandalf looks upon Dol Guldur, shrouded in mist—the dead trees, the monstrous spiders—and thinks that if Radagast is wrong about the Necromancer, he wouldn't know what else could possibly inhabit such a place.

**46.) Travel—**

Hobbits, as a rule, don't ride ponies—it puts them too far off the ground to be truly comfortable, and they fear falling almost as much as they do drowning; Bilbo will never admit it aloud, but it's several weeks before he's able to mount Myrtle without feeling light-headed with terror.

**47.) Forget—**

After waking from his enchanted sleep in Mirkwood, Bombur realizes there are large gaps in his memory; it drives him mad that he does not know why everyone seems to like their soft, fussy burglar so much.

**48.) Dripping—**

If Sméagol were in his right mind, he would realize that there is no way he should still be living—not with the few, meager meals he has per week and the  _ centuries  _ it's been since he settled here; but he is too far gone, locked within his own mind, paying attention only to the dripping water within his cave and the beautiful promises his birthday present whispers to him.

**49.) Thunder—**

For months, Ori trembles at every clap of thunder, every flash of lightning that splits the sky; the helplessness and terror he felt as the Stone Giant hurtled toward the mountain haunt him still, and he doesn't think he'll ever forget the overwhelming  _ relief _ on his brothers' faces when they saw him still alive.

**50.) Frozen—**

Fifty-three-year-old Thorin finds that he cannot move, that the destruction in the forest around him is too great to process; the orcs are gone at last, the battle is over, and he allows the oak branch to fall from his numb fingers...and then he sees his little brother on the ground.


	2. 51-100

**51.) Claim—**

Dís knows that she could force Dáin to give her the throne—after all, she is of Thrór's line, sister of Thorin and mother of his heirs—but she knows that it would do nothing, that it would not bring her family back...and she simply cannot find the energy to care about such things anymore.

**52.) Nest—**

Absurdly, after they are saved by the eagles on the cliff, all Bofur can think is that he'd rather go down fighting an army of goblins than end up dinner for a pack of carnivorous birds.

**53.) Campfire—**

For the first several nights of their journey, Bilbo isn't quite sure how welcome he is; he lingers around the outskirts of camp, several feet from the fire...until Dwalin asks gruffly whether he's trying to catch cold, and Bofur quite literally drags him toward the rest of the group, laughing all the while.

**54.) Havoc—**

Elrond can see that Saruman is not concerned about the Morgul blade, but he thinks he agrees with Gandalf; there is something inherently  _ wrong _ about this, and it should be investigated before they dismiss it as nothing—after all, if Gandalf is right...he does not want to imagine the chaos such things would bring upon Middle Earth if left unchecked.

**55.) Walking stick—**

Bilbo knows that he has more important things to worry about, but that walking stick had been his mother's; when it is lost in the goblin caves, he feels his ties to home steadily loosening—and the emptiness this causes hurts him more than he wants to admit.

**56.) Riddle—**

Nori loves a good puzzle as much as the next person...and the little gold trinket he's seen Bilbo fingering since they left the goblin caves has definitely piqued his interest.

**57.) Hope—**

Dís knows something is wrong the instant she realizes the message to Ered Luin is from Balin instead of Thorin; but she does not stop hoping until she sees Dáin greeting the caravans, her grandfather's crown upon his head, grief clear in his eyes as he meets her gaze.

**58.) Away—**

Bilbo knows the other hobbits whisper about him as he grows older, knows they wonder why he has not taken a wife—but he doesn't think he'll ever be able to truly settle down...not when his mind still whispers that  _ it's not too late to return to Erebor for another adventure. _

**59.) Reality—**

Nori rushes into the makeshift camps after the battle, sharp and terrified eyes taking in everything at once; he doesn't know where his friends are, where his brothers are—but no, Ori is here, leaving a tent with tears streaming down his face; but before Nori can ask what is wrong, Balin exits the tent as well...and the utter  _ despair _ on the old dwarf's face tells him all he needs to know.

**60.) Flash—**

Fíli has never been more terrified than when he sees Thorin, unmoving, on the ground, and Azog bearing down on him; he does not hear his brother's echoing cry from beside him, does not feel the sword slice through his upper arm—he only sees red as he hurtles forward, knowing that he has to put  _ something _ between his king and the enemy...(and if that something is his own body, then so be it.)

**61.) Poison—**

Thranduil watches the dwarves sway on unsteady legs, takes in their gaunt cheeks and their white faces even as they glare defiantly up at him...and orders his guards to ensure that they recover fully from the spiders' venom; after all, he is not heartless, and  _ too many _ of these dwarves are far too young to join such a suicidal quest.

**62.) Toss—**

Gimli storms around Ered Luin for a whole week, slamming doors and throwing pottery and chucking his axe at trees with all his strength...but in the end, it doesn't matter, and his father has had enough—"You're too young for this quest, boy, and if I hear another peep about it, I'll make sure your mother doesn't let you out of the house for a  _ decade. _ "

**63.) Time—**

It's been sixty years, and Bilbo can still remember the faces of every one of his companions as perfectly as he knows his own.

**64.) Prank—**

When Dwalin wakes to a flopping fish in his bedroll, everyone immediately blames Fíli and Kíli; nobody notices the way Bifur stands to one side, snickering into his hand and doing his best to look innocent.

**65.) Ruins—**

As they pass through the ruins of Dale on their way to the mountain, Thorin thinks that he would like nothing better than to see it restored to its former glory alongside his own kingdom.

**66.) Possession—**

The Ring is  _ his, _ and he thinks that if anyone tries to take it from him—be they friend or foe, elf or orc or even Valar—they will pay for their transgression in blood.

**67.) Magic—**

_ He's a wizard, _ Kíli thinks,  _ that means we'll be safe—after all, he'd never let any of us come to harm, right? _

**68.) Wisdom—**

Dwalin honestly doesn't give a damn that most of these elves are ten times older than him; if this race, in all their supposed greatness _ , _ can survive on eating nothing but plants...there's obviously  _ something _ wrong with their heads.

**69.) Keepsake—**

Sometimes, the only thing that keeps Glóin moving forward, through the hardship and the struggles and the pain, is the cool metal of his locket pressed against his breast; the thought that he is doing this for  _ them, _ that reclaiming Erebor will give his wife and son a better life, is all he needs to convince himself to keep going.

**70.) Food—**

Legolas checks on the newly-captured dwarves that evening, sees every one of their dinner plates licked clean, and goes straight to the kitchen to ensure that their meals will be larger in the future.

**71.) Short—**

Ori feels terrible that he's pleased to find someone even shorter than him; Bilbo, after all, is a hobbit—smaller than dwarves by nature...but Ori's spent his whole life feeling small and useless and insignificant, and maybe it's a little gratifying to finally find someone even more hopeless than he is.

**72.) Disguise—**

Kíli is rather insulted when Fíli jokingly passes him off as his sister to a tavern full of men—and it's accepted without question.

**73.) Work—**

Thorin works at the forge night and day, sweating and burning and earning just enough money to keep his sister and young nephews fed—and he hates himself more and more with every passing year, knowing he can't give them the luxury they deserve.

**74.) Lantern—**

The darkness of Mirkwood is suffocating, groping, overwhelming—and Glóin thinks he'd do anything for some sort of fire to guide their way.

**75.) Action—**

It's been decades since Balin has been anything more than a diplomat and a scribe; he knows he is far too old to be doing any more adventuring, especially after what happened to Thráin...but when Thorin comes to him—his face a steely, determined mask that reminds him far too much of Thrór—he knows exactly what his old friend is thinking...and he knows there is nothing he can do to dissuade him from marching on the Lonely Mountain.

**76.) Flower—**

Bilbo usually doesn't mind insects...but as they approach Gandalf's friend's home, he finds himself skittering nervously away from the bees that are larger than his fist.

**77.) Cold—**

Dori doesn't think it's too chilly out tonight, but he watches as Bilbo inches closer to the fire, doing his best to hide his shivering; without a second thought, he drapes his own blanket around the hobbit's shoulders, only smiling warmly when Bilbo looks up in question.

**78.) Nonsense—**

Radagast is babbling away to Gandalf, too quickly for Thorin to follow...and the dwarf wonders sullenly whether you have to be crazy in order to be a wizard.

**79.) Exaggerate—**

All Bilbo can think, staring down upon the Valley of Imladris, is that his mother did not lie when she said it is the most beautiful place in Middle Earth.

**80.) Forgotten—**

Dwalin is the only one left of the Company, for even Gandalf (the damn bastard) has passed on; he's turning three-hundred forty tomorrow, and as he stares down at Thorin's grave, at Fíli's and Kíli's and Glóin's and all the others' in the catacombs of the mountain, he thinks it won't be long before he is finally allowed to see their faces again.

**81.) Ghost—**

Thorin knows, in some distant corner of his mind, that it's impossible—but he is too deep in the madness to care; after all, who knows: maybe he really is hearing his grandfather's voice echoing through the treasury of Erebor.

**82.) Certainty—**

Dwalin refuses to believe it until he sees their bodies laid out, side by side, dark mixed with bright mixed with the scarlet blood pooled beneath all three of them—and he only allows himself to break down once the guards have left, once he and his brother are the only  _ (living)  _ people in the tent...and his tears are swift and full of denial as he drops to his knees before his fallen kings.

**83.) Fall—**

Radagast knows the Greenwood is dying, and he feels absolutely hopeless, watching his friends and family die all around him...knowing he can do absolutely nothing to save any of them.

**84.) Proof—**

Thorin, in the darkness of his cell, does not dare to believe that he actually hears their burglar's voice echoing from the other side of the door...not until the hobbit huffs impatiently, stomps his foot, and claims that if Thorin doesn't start listening to him  _ right now, _ he will himself go to Thranduil and explain the purpose of their quest.

**85.) Turning point—**

Staring at Thorin's face in the treasury, consumed by madness and lust and insatiable greed, Kíli realizes that there's no turning back from this; they have all damned themselves to this fate, and there is nothing anyone can do to save them now.

**86.) Catching up—**

Seeing his younger brother in the hobbit's kitchen lifts a great weight from Balin's shoulders; it's been  _ months _ since they last saw each other, and Master Baggins' spluttering and frantic arm-waving are quickly forgotten as the two of them begin chatting, catching up on all they've missed in each other's lives.

**87.) Animal—**

Nori has traveled far and wide over Middle Earth in his (perfectly legal, thank you very much) endeavors...but he doesn't think he's ever seen rabbits as large as these, the mad wizard's creatures, as they stare around at the dwarves with strangely intelligent eyes.

**88.) Elements—**

When nine-year-old Fíli runs away from home in the middle of winter, most of the dwarves fear the worst; Dís is beside herself, holding Kíli close as Thorin swears not to return without her eldest son—and almost thirty-six hours later, he carries a small, shivering bundle into the house with Dwalin and Óin close on his heels; when Fíli looks up at them all, tears frozen on his face and eyes wide with pain and terror, they realize that maybe the boy took his father's death harder than they thought.

**89.) Abundance—**

Dís stands in the treasury of Erebor as an old woman (only one-hundred eighty-one) and curses her grandfather, curses her father, curses her older brother, curses every other creature she can think of; she knows Thorin did this to give their people—their  _ family _ —a better life, but these tons upon tons of gold do nothing for her brother and sons now as she screams for the emptiness in her heart.

**90.) Home—**

_ Home, _ for Kíli, has always been the Blue Mountains: chasing his brother through the forests and staying out past dark to annoy Mother and cajoling Thorin into playing the Big Bad Orc in their childhood games; he knows, distantly, that Erebor should be where his heart truly lies, should resonate through his bones and speak to him in his dreams, but he can't help but think that he'd be perfectly content to live out his life in Ered Luin, staying in these modest halls with his family until the end of his days.

**91.) Believe—**

Hobbits never think much of what happens after death; they simply embrace life and all its gifts, and return bodies to the earth when their time is spent...but here, standing at the graves of three of his friends with tears streaming down his face, Bilbo thinks he finds comfort in Balin's words—that Thorin and Fíli and Kíli are now born into a new life with Mahal...a new life of peace and happiness, where they will wait to be reunited with their friends and family when the time comes.

**92.) Bird—**

Bard hears a sudden fluttering by his ear, amidst the fire and the chaos and the death; the bird speaks a language he forgot he understands, but the message it carries is clear—and he draws his final arrow, taking careful aim before letting it fly into the heart of the dragon soaring overhead.

**93.) Alternate—**

It's a never-ending source of amusement to Fíli and Kíli that even after nearly eight decades, their uncle  _ still _ calls them by the wrong name half the time.

**94.) Normal—**

Before Bilbo left for Erebor,  _ normal _ was seven meals a day, politely interacting with his neighbors, simply  _ existing _ as time went by; but now, freshly returned from danger and dragons and all manner of unbecoming adventures, he realizes that that isn't quite enough for him anymore.

**95.) Love—**

Bombur knows that people whisper, knows they worry when he and his wife leave their children with Bifur;  _ what if he loses his mind?—what if he hurts them?—they shouldn't take that chance _ ...but Bombur knows his cousin has always loved children of any race and any status, knows that he became a toymaker for that very reason...and he would trust Bifur with every one of their lives.

**96.) Smoke—**

The night Thorin accidentally smoked Bilbo's weed is the night he refuses to talk about—the night even Gandalf will start chuckling over...the night the rest of them have immortalized as the best of their entire lives.

**97.) Stein—**

Bilbo's never been more terrified than he is tonight, when thirteen strangers and a wizard he barely knows invaded his home...but as they all sit around his table, mugs of ale in hand and chattering cheerfully away to each other, he realizes that even if he's not part of it himself, this is a sense of camaraderie he hasn't felt for many, many years.

**98.) Pancakes—**

Glóin will admit that Beorn's food is much better than the elves', because the bread and honey is both delicious and filling; but even as he digs into a pile of pancakes, drowned in maple syrup, he thinks he'd give anything to be eating a leg of lamb instead.

**99.) Cloak—**

It's pouring down rain, and their burglar is clearly miserable; Dwalin grunts, despairs at the fact that the hobbit didn't even think to pack a hood, and throws his own cloak at him instead, only raising an eyebrow and jerking his head when Bilbo stares at him in question.

**100.) Battle—**

Fíli looks out upon the gruesome battlefield from the gates of the mountain, only moments before Thorin leads their charge; it is the single most horrifying thing he has ever seen, and he hopes fervently that he will never have to fight another battle for as long as he lives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 88 probably needs some explaining - I'm pretty sure it was inspired by some of Kaciart's drawings over on Tumblr, where little Fili got jealous of Kili's attention and decided to run away.


	3. 101-150

**101.) Emerald—**

Thorin prefers his clothes to be in shades of blue: the color of his eyes, the color he thinks best portrays his status as a prince...Frerin, on the other hand, has always favored green—after all, he spends days at a time out in the wilderness, hunting game...coming home with his bow over his shoulder, his dark hair filthy with dirt and leaves, and laughter always,  _ always _ , emanating from his dark green eyes.

**102.) Vacuum—**

Death, after all, is an inevitability everyone must face, something nobody cannot escape from...but that doesn't make it any easier for the ones left behind.

**103.) Lie—**

Balin knows he has no other choice as he comforts a dying Thorin: "Your nephews are well—their wounds will heal, and Fíli will make a fine King...rest now, and you will see them again when the time comes."

**104.) Salt—**

Dori can't help but spit out his tea at the disgusting taste, for someone has clearly swapped his sugar and salt supplies; he has no evidence to accuse anyone of doing such a thing, but the way his younger brothers are snickering on the other side of the fire gives him a pretty good idea.

**105.) Screen—**

Kíli's last coherent thought is that  _ he has to protect his King... _ and his final act is to drag his own ruined body across the ground until it shields Thorin's still form from the raging battle.

**106.) Dummy—**

Kíli knows what the other dwarves say about him behind his back, knows that they mock his slight build and his wisp of a beard and his primary choice of weapon...but when he pulls out his bow on the practice field one day, pinning the center of the distant target with his entire quiver in under thirty seconds, he can see the utter astonishment on their faces—and he's never patronized for using an elvish weapon again.

**107.) Icicle—**

Hobbits don't like water on a good day, and Bilbo is no exception as he clings to the side of a barrel for dear life; the problem is only exacerbated by the fact that it's late autumn, and he finds himself shivering uncontrollably as he finally collapses onto the riverbank near Laketown.

**108.) Obsessive—**

Thirty-five-year-old Fíli won't stop going on about his new facial hair—it's barely visible, especially with his fair coloring, but he's so excited about it that they all humor him...and decide not to tell him that sideburns without a beard aren't really facial hair at all.

**109.) Slide—**

Bilbo can feel Thorin's iron grip leaving bruises on his arms, can feel the wind whip through his hair as he is held over the battlements of the mountain he's given so much to reclaim...and as he hears Bard and Gandalf calling desperately for his release, sees the madness in Thorin's eyes and the horror and despair in the others'...he doesn't think he'd mind all that much if Thorin simply let him go.

**110.) Storm—**

Gandalf can see the signs beginning to come together, even if Saruman insists there is nothing to worry about...he remembers the horrors of the First and Second Ages, remembers Morgoth's and Sauron's terrible rules...and knows that if they are to prevent such a thing from happening again, they must stop this gathering storm before it grows to its full strength.

**111.) Coffee—**

Dís immediately regrets her decision to allow Dori to give her sons (thirty-eight and forty-three) their first mugs of coffee...and resolves to dump them off with Thorin at the forge on her way home.

**112.) Angel—**

Ori—young, impressionable Ori, barely into his teens—has never seen Erebor, has never seen Khazad-dûm, has never seen anyone grander than their displaced King under the Mountain...but he thinks that if there's anyone who has been sent to Middle Earth directly by the Valar, it would be his big brothers: Dori—strong, unmovable Dori who makes him tea and encourages his scribing—and Nori...rarely at home but constantly missed and always,  _ always _ loved.

**113.) Brotherhood—**

Bilbo watches the dwarves segment into groups of two or three every night, watches brothers as they move side by side in travel and slumber and battle—and he feels a twinge of something (jealousy, perhaps) that despite the proliferative nature of hobbits, he was never blessed with a brother or sister to call his own.

**115.) Leaves—**

Bilbo and Gandalf return to Hobbiton—at long last—in mid-spring, and as Bilbo takes in the familiar (foreign) view of his homeland, he hopes that maybe these budding flowers and new plant life will welcome him home like he knows his family never will.

**116.) Limit—**

Dáin can see the passion in his cousin's eyes, knows that he will never be able to dissuade him from marching on Erebor...but he has no men to spare, could not possibly travel with them himself, and his heart is heavy as he is forced to refuse Thorin's request for aid.

**117.) Burn—**

What with the wargs and the orcs and their desperate escape through the tunnels toward Rivendell, Bofur doesn't exactly think the burns he sustained from the trolls' fire are entirely important to point out; it's only when he's safely in their quarters that night, trying not to aggravate his injuries them too much, that Bombur and Bifur corner him and demand answers, swearing loudly when they see the damage and calling Óin over with wide eyes.

**118.) Nails—**

Thorin and Vali build their house in the Blue Mountains with their bare hands as a heavily pregnant Dís and a young Fíli look on; Thorin knows this is better than nothing—better than wandering in the wilderness, having to beg and steal and work their fingers to the bone just for a slice of bread...but he  _ hates _ this house, hates every board as he nails it to the frame, because it will never truly be a  _ home _ for any of them.

**119.) Hair—**

The dwarves are scandalized when so much of the spiders' webbing gets into Bilbo's hair he is forced to cut some of it off...but he doesn't understand why—after all, it's been getting annoyingly long anyway, and he is far overdue for a trim.

**120.) Stake—**

Thranduil recognizes Thorin's madness for what it is, and knows there is nothing he nor Bard nor even  _ Mithrandir  _ can do to stop it—but as they hear the news of the approaching goblin army, he can only hope that the dwarves will see sense, will realize that an alliance (no matter how desperate) would be preferable to total destruction at the hands of their most hated enemies.

**121.) Sleep—**

Bofur nearly forgets how to breathe when the others drag his unmoving brother from the river in Mirkwood; no matter how much they shake him, no matter how many times Óin examines him and promises there is nothing wrong, Bombur will not wake up.

**122.) Anxious—**

Ori knows the others think him skittish, knows they think him stupid and useless for not bringing a  _ proper _ weapon along...and even though nobody has ever said this to his face, he knows it to be true; even Fíli and Kíli—younger than him by more than two decades—are practically  _ bristling _ with weapons and can be incredibly deadly when they want to be; he has absolutely no excuse for not being prepared for battle (none except his own incompetence), and he's so caught up in his own failure that he's never able to see how much the others admire him, how much they appreciate his company.

**123.) Remote—**

Nori feels like a terrible person when he realizes he's glad to be outside, on the mountain's doorstep, rather than following Bilbo down the narrow hall toward the dragon; even though this is his home—full of tales spun for him by his brother and his parents—he doesn't think he'd face down a dragon, even for all the gold in the world...and feels much better sending a (defenseless,  _ innocent, _ despite the hardships of the journey) hobbit in to scout out their chances.

**124.) Climb—**

Kíli has never been more grateful for his strange propensity for tree-climbing than when he's scrambling with his brother up a teetering pine, wargs snapping at his heels and orcs laughing cruelly in the distance.

**125.) Forever—**

"We'll be brothers forever, yeah?"—"Yeah, always...I promise, nothing will ever be able to tear us apart."

**126.) Tower—**

Thranduil's gaze is often focused south, a deep crease in his brow as he considers Dol Guldur; he knows that it is the source of his forest's disquiet, knows there is something terrible happening there, even if the White Council insists on ignoring it; but he has no soldiers to spare, is busy enough keeping the dark magic and the spiders and the orcs away from his citizens...and must, for now, simply hope that nothing will come of it before any of his allies agree to come to his aid.

**127.) King—**

They have all known that Thorin is their leader—but it's only once they are within the mountain, and he stands resplendent in his grandfather's crown and jewels and mail, that they truly understand what it means to be a  _ king. _

**128.) Justify—**

Bilbo knows that no matter how much he argues, no matter how much he rationalizes and explains and pleads with Thorin to understand, the dwarf will refuse to listen; after all, he—their hired burglar—stole from his own company, stole that which was most precious to them...and to the mad king, that is inexcusable and irrevocably damning.

**129.) Spin—**

Bilbo sees the young fauntlings outside Bag End, chasing each other around and around the hill and spinning in circles until they fall to the ground in a laughing heap—and he wishes he were that innocent anymore, wishes he has not had to face down dragons and slaughter orcs and watch helplessly as his friends perished...(but at the same time, he doesn't think he'd exchange it for the world.)

**130.) Calculate—**

Thorin approaches Glóin and asks whether he would join the Company as its bookkeeper, tallying expenses and helping to inventory the treasury if (when) they make it to the mountain...but Glóin has already decided he will go, whether as his king's bookkeeper or his bodyguard or even just his kin—because as much as he has grown to accept Ered Luin as their settlement (the only home his son has ever known), he would give anything to give Gimli and his wife the comfort they truly deserve.

**131.) Web—**

Bilbo feels the webbing all around him, feels his limbs half-restrained by some unseen force in the pitch blackness, and kicks wildly to free himself; and it's only when he's scrambled to his feet with his sword, eyes wide and desperate to see anything in the gloom, that he realizes every one of his friends is gone.

**132.) Plaid—**

Thorin has never seen a more disgusting person than when he sets eyes on the Master of Laketown: his unwashed hair, his greasy face, his abhorrent smell and his abominable clothing...he has to fight the urge to turn away and gag as the man allows the Company into his halls, clearly only wishing for the gold their return would promise him.

**133.) Bug—**

Kíli doesn't mind bugs—more than once, he's killed spiders for his mother (and brother, though Fíli will deny it to his dying day) when they got into the house—but these spiders are taller than him, with stingers the size of his arm, and he readily admits that in his half-conscious state, he screeched like a girl and would have fallen on his arse, had Fíli not caught him by the arm and forced him to run.

**134.) Chemistry—**

Kíli feels no remorse for punching his brother hard enough to bruise when Fíli insists on poking fun at him about the human girl from the town they just stopped at; she had—to Kíli's mortification—mistook him for an exceptionally short man, shown  _ interest _ in him, and Fíli keeps saying that Kíli should turn back, ask for her hand in marriage before they are all killed by the dragon.

**135.) Swim—**

It's only when Dori's practically carrying Bilbo to their assigned house in Laketown (for the hobbit is half-coherent and shivering uncontrollably, his lips blue and eyes wide) that they realize he's not only shaking from the cold; once they lay him down and get him to string a sentence together, they learn that Bilbo—like most hobbits—cannot swim...and that the barrel ride down the river must have been the most terrifying experience of his life.

**136.) Faith—**

Once upon a time, Thorin might have accepted Thranduil's offer of help, reinforcements against the might of the dragon...but now he would not trust the Elvenking with even his dullest knife, for he has turned his back on the dwarves of Erebor once...and Thorin does not doubt he would do it again.

**137.) Sacrifice—**

"I will not risk this quest for the life of one burglar!"—Balin sees the darkness in his old friend's eyes, hears Dwalin growl from behind him, and knows that this will only end in heartbreak...because Thorin is falling fast, and there is nothing any of them can do to stop it now.

**138.) Hover—**

_ Maybe this wasn't such a good idea, _ Bofur thinks mildly; nevertheless, he simply clutches the empty flask he filched from Radagast, grins cheerfully at his horrorstruck companions, and does his best to ignore the fact that he is hovering two feet off the ground.

**139.) Letting go—**

Dori almost throws a fit when Ori announces that he wants to follow Balin to Moria...but this quest has been a long time coming, and he knows there is truly nothing he can do to stop his little brother (a dwarf long-grown) from leaving...so he only hugs him tight, bites back his tears, and prays that Mahal will keep his brother safe.

**140.) Demented—**

Fíli has always trusted his uncle unconditionally—Thorin, after all, was the dwarf who raised him and his brother, helped their mother when he could and taught them to fight and to survive and to  _ live... _ but this—this is not Thorin, standing in the great treasury of their mountain, with madness in his eyes and a harshness to his voice that Fíli wishes never to hear again.

**141.) Starved—**

None of the dwarves are acquainted with Bilbo well enough to notice when his clothes start hanging loose on his body, when his face grows pale and gaunt, when he begins looking sickly and starved despite the fact that they all eat two hearty meals a day; nobody notices anything at all until he collapses quite suddenly, and it's only when Dwalin picks him up, cradling him like a babe, does he realize that the hobbit was definitely not this thin when they left Hobbiton.

**142.) Horror—**

Bofur feels nothing but icy horror rush through his veins when he and the rest of the Company look out from the cover of the trees, see three enormous mountain trolls in the clearing...and realize that Bilbo is held in the crushing grasp of the largest.

**143.) Concussion—**

When Fíli and Kíli are dragged from the river after they tried to chase after the spooked pony, none of the dwarves understand why Bilbo is fretting near-obsessively over their heads, checking their vision and balance and memory—after all, dwarven bones (especially their skulls) are exceptionally tough, and it's not as if a few knocks on the head would cause any lasting damage.

**144.) Coma—**

Bofur finds his cousin in the medical tents after the orc raid, and his heart nearly gives out when he sees the bloody mess that is Bifur's forehead; the healers promise that he is still alive, but they also warn that there is no knowing when (or even if) he will ever wake again.

**145.) Myths—**

Stone Giants have always been the stuff of nightmares, the tales dwarrowdams tell their children to keep them from running off into the mountains...but Glóin never expected the legends to be  _ true. _

**146.) Bloodlust—**

Azog the Defiler has sworn to wipe out the line of Durin—the stench of dwarf-scum has ever haunted him, since long before he slaughtered the eldest king—and now that there are three here, weary and injured and desperately alone on the battlefield, his face splits into a wide, cruel smile...for he knows he will claim his prize at last.

**147.) Touching—**

Dwarves are much more physically affectionate than hobbits with those who are not their kin; Bilbo got plenty of hugs and kisses from his parents growing up, of course, but he nearly jumps right out of his skin that first night when Balin claps him on the shoulder like they've known each other all their lives.

**148.) Wizard—**

Fíli and Kíli have heard vague tales of the Wandering Wizard, who very occasionally visited Erebor in its prime to counsel King Thrór...but they have never seen him in person, even when Thorin makes plans with him to travel to Erebor; and when they finally meet Gandalf the Grey in the Shire, they're rather underwhelmed...after all, how helpful could an old man (who even needs a walking stick!) be to their quest?

**149.) Paint—**

The horrific battle and its aftermath have damaged them all, deeper than any let on...but Nori thinks his little brother is handling himself remarkably well; that is irrevocably shattered when he hears Ori's bloodcurdling scream a few weeks later, when they're safely within the mountain—and when he and Dori rush into his quarters, weapons at the ready, they see that Ori has his parchment and quills and paints laid out on the floor, halfway through a portrait of Thorin...and an inkwell of scarlet paint has shattered all over his shaking hands.

**150.) Barrel—**

Fíli does not understand  _ how in Mahal's name _ Kíli seems to find this  _ fun _ ; they're near-flying down a river rapids, have only narrowly escaped from Thranduil's stronghold...but his brother is  _ laughing _ , a wide smile on his face as he holds tight to his barrel like this is some sort of game.


	4. 151-200

**151.) Supernova—**

Many of the larger races disregard hobbits as weak and soft and useless, but Gandalf knows better; he can see the plain happiness in the adults' bearing, the utter innocence in the children's faces, and knows such things (vital as they are to life) are absent in the races of dwarves and elves and men; hobbits may be nothing but specks in the universe of every other creature on earth, but to the Grey Wizard, they shine as bright as the sun.

**152.) Tear—**

Thorin is completely perplexed when, a week or so east of Bree, he catches Bilbo sitting by himself on the edges of camp; it's not his position that is so confusing—for the hobbit seems to prefer his own company—but instead the fact that he has retrieved a needle and thread from his pack, and is determinedly mending a small tear in his jacket as if it's the most important thing in the world.

**153.) Wedding—**

Dwalin almost feels like it's a betrayal when he eventually weds his beautiful wife, seven decades after the reclamation of Erebor; his brother should be here, his King should be here—the  _ Company  _ should be here, more than the sorry half-dozen who are still alive and living in the mountain...but he knows that Balin would be here if he could, were he not so busy restoring Khazad-dûm...and this is what Thorin would have wanted for him, some happiness in the midst of the loneliness and grief that linger even so long after they are gone.

**154.) Fall—**

Bilbo clings to the fallen tree with everything he has, determinedly  _ not _ looking at the vast empty space beneath his feet...but when he hears Dwalin roar in desperation, hears Balin and the others screaming for Thorin, he swallows every ounce of that terror that he can, grits his teeth, and swings his legs enough to stand on the teetering branch; and all he can think is that  _ he has to protect the King _ as he charges forward, his sword glowing brightly in the firelight.

**155.) Buttons—**

Óin nearly has a heart attack when he gets a good look at Bilbo, once they've had a chance to settle down at the base of the Carrock; the buttons on his coat have clearly been torn off, and he's limping something terrible; that, combined with the terrible rumors of goblins and their sport, have him spluttering in the hobbit's direction...and it's only after he realizes Bilbo has no idea what he's talking about—is explaining that he fell from the scaffolding, had to squeeze through some tight spaces to make his escape—that he realizes that their burglar may be all right after all.

**156.) Full moon—**

It is a clear, well-lit night, for the moon is full and they have found an excellent campsite that is near-impossible for enemies to sneak up to; so Thorin, on watch, allows his gaze to wander toward the members of his Company as they slumber...Gandalf is sitting up against the sheer rock wall, and it is impossible to tell whether he is awake or asleep; Bilbo Baggins is curled near the fire in his bedroll, only the very top of his head visible from under the blanket; and the rest of them—his friends, his kin—are sprawled in various strange positions in their slumber...and he is suddenly struck with the fact that he— _ he, _ and he alone—is responsible for their well-being, for the lives of every member of this small, loyal group...and if he is to fail, any (or all) of these slumbering faces may not ever live to see their home reclaimed.

**157.) Tired—**

Dís wonders  _ what on earth _ could have possessed her to bear two hellions such as these so close together; Fíli, seven years old, is running around the house, screaming at the top of his lungs, and little Kíli is toddling after him, laughing hysterically; she has no idea what kind of game they could possibly be playing, but she is  _ tired _ , and Mahal save her, all she wants is  _ half an hour _ of quiet, uninterrupted slumber.

**158.) Consecrated—**

Khazad-dûm is one of their most hallowed halls, forged millennia ago by the greatest of their ancestors...and as Balin steps foot into it for the first time in nearly two centuries, he feels the weight of such a history fall upon his shoulders—and he knows he  _ must _ restore it to its former glory, no matter the cost.

**159.) Deaf—**

Óin may not have perfect hearing...but he can hear well enough to realize when his little brother is making fun of him, and he has no problems with clocking him over the head with his poor abused ear-horn, ruined and "useless" as it is after their escape from the goblin tunnels.

**160.) Magnet—**

Bilbo doesn't know why he feels so drawn to this ragtag troupe of dwarves; they are loud and rude so un-hobbitish that his father might have cried; but, he realizes quickly, they are also passionate and loyal and overwhelmingly  _ similar, _ so like him at their basest form that he can't help but enjoy their company.

**161.) Dysfunctional—**

Ori never knew their father, Nori only has faint memories, and Dori wishes he could forget; but no matter how they grew up in poverty, no matter how much their weary mother worked to put food on the table, and no matter how trying their lives have been for the last century...they are a family, and family sticks together until the very end.

**162.) Eulogy—**

Bard has known Thorin Oakenshield for less than two months, and for half of that, he was a greedy, insane king with nothing on his mind but the gold of his forefathers; but as he stands in the catacombs of Erebor and watches as the dwarf is laid to rest, his two sister-sons on either side ( _ far too young— _ they barely look older than Bard's own children, yet they died defending their king), he feels the tears start to fall down his face...and he is not so ashamed, not so heartless as to try and wipe them away.

**163.) Echo—**

That's the difference between Balin and Dwalin; both are haunted by the ghosts of the past, decades after Erebor is reclaimed: Thrór's ringing voice, Thorin's regal bearing, Fíli and Kíli's heartening laughter follow them everywhere...Balin can bear it no longer, and flees to Khazad-dûm; but Dwalin, stalwart and loyal to the end, refuses to leave the mountain, refuses to abandon the last relics he has left of his friends and kings.

**164.) Clown—**

When the human circus comes to town, Fíli and Kíli beg Thorin for days to allow them to go; and it's all fun and games until a man in terrifying face paint, an outrageous wig, and extravagant clothing comes up to them...and Fíli—the crown prince of their lost mountain, fifty-two years old, and  _ an adult, thank you very much _ —screams like a child and almost guts the man before Kíli can pull him back.

**165.) Puzzle—**

Ori finds an incomplete puzzle on the floor of Master Baggins' study, that first night after they have all set up for bed; though it's less than halfway done, he can tell that it is a picture of an expansive mountain range...and he wonders whether the hobbit was being entirely truthful when he claimed he has no wish to see the world outside the Shire.

**166.) Brainwash—**

Thranduil is shocked at what he sees on the younger dwarves' faces, when they are brought up for individual questioning—not anger, not disdain, not hatred—but instead badly-masked  _ fear. _

**167.) Courage—**

Dwalin has always considered courage to be the height of a dwarf's honor—that if one is brave, he must be inherently  _ good _ , as well _ ... _ and though he's questioned Bilbo Baggin's quality in the past, as he watches him rush toward a pack of orcs, single-handedly slaughter one of them and then stand before Azog the Defiler with his trembling hands and his terrified eyes...he realizes that maybe the hobbit is even braver than the rest of them.

**168.) Devastate—**

Dori is desperate, in the aftermath of the battle—he lost track of Ori some time earlier, and he knows that his younger brother was never made for war; if he is dead, it is entirely Dori's fault...but then he sees him, standing alone, helm lost, an enormous hammer in hand and tears falling steadily down his face; his eyes stare blankly at nothing as Dori approaches him, and the gore coating his body contrasts sharply with his white face...and even as Dori realizes with relief that his brother is physically out of danger, in no way is Ori all right.

**169.) Monster—**

The wargs that Thorin and Dwalin bring down in the clearing just outside the troll hoard are more grotesque than Bilbo has ever imagined; he has seen wolves before, during the Fell Winter of his childhood, but they do not hold a candle to these monsters, and he starts to wonder whether he's cut out for such a horrible quest after all.

**170.) Grasp—**

Bilbo's palms are sweaty and his grip on his sword slips dangerously even as he convulsively holds it tighter, staring down the Pale Orc on the clifftop; but all he can see is Gandalf's appraising gaze, Thorin's unconscious form behind him, and imagining how proud his mother would be of him for going on this quest...and it's the last of those that gives him the courage to throw away his own life for the King's.

**171.) Stag—**

Thorin and Frerin laughs for a solid ten minutes—out of earshot of the council room, of course—when they see the mount that Thranduil rode to Erebor; it's easily ten feet tall, disregarding its ridiculous antlers, and it is so utterly absurd that any respect they may have had for the snobby Elvenking flies right out the window.

**172.) Vision—**

The last thing Thorin Oakenshield sees in this life is the distraught, tear-stained face of the burglar he never deserved to call  _ friend _ ...and he wonders why he has been granted this much after everything he has done, why he has been allowed to die with friends at his side, when so many others  _ (Fíli and Kíli, _ and he cannot hold back his tears any longer) died so, so alone.

**173.) Bottle—**

As Bilbo and the dwarves are properly welcomed into Laketown, a few days after their arrival, one of the men cheerfully shoves a tankard of ale into the hobbit's hands—and Bilbo doesn't think he's ever seen so much alcohol in one container before in his  _ life _ .

**174.) Plural—**

Thráin, once upon a time, had a father and three children: two sons, tall and broad and strong, as any heirs of Durin should be, and a daughter, beautiful and stubborn and just as hardheaded as her kin; then, the second son was lost to war, and the father and grandfather to madness, and then there were two left (and the heirs wrought to them, that they would do anything to protect)—but, after a quest of desperation and hope and what some might call insanity, there is only one: a sister and a daughter and a mother, all too alone in a world she has never had to navigate on her own.

**175.) Father—**

"What are your parents like, Bilbo?"—Kíli's innocent question strikes hard, though he does his best to hide it...because all this time, navigating wilderness and dangers and everything a hobbit should never encounter, one of the only things keeping him going is the memory of his father's delighted laugh every time he brought home some new token of his childhood adventures...and he thinks that Bungo Baggins, as respectable a hobbit as he was, would be impossibly proud of him, were he still alive to see Bilbo leave for such a quest.

**176.) Accident—**

Bombur's children—like most dwarflings—are incredibly accident-prone...but thanks to their thick skulls and their Uncle Bofur's smiles and toys, any hurts are soon forgotten.

**177.) Perfect—**

The last image Gimli has of his cousins—his best friends—is of the two of them riding away down the mountain in the morning sunlight, waving cheerfully over their shoulders and laughing at something already beyond his hearing...and then they are gone (though he does not know it),  _ forever. _

**178.) Bucket—**

Fíli's coming-of-age party is all well and good until Kíli has a  _ bit _ too much to drink—and Fíli is torn between poking fun at his brother as he holds Kíli's hair back and grabbing his own bucket to be sick in...for they matched each other drink for drink, and this cannot end well for either of them.

**179.) Torch—**

The only warning Óin has is the sudden darkness caused by the dousing of his torch; but when he turns around quickly, raising his staff, he has no chance to react before the monster from the water is upon him.

**180.) Dwarf—**

Bilbo Baggins has never met a dwarf in his life, but when he sees a hulking figure on his front porch—far too short to be a man or elf, but too hairy to be a hobbit—he knows that's what he must be...and he only has a moment to wonder what is happening before  _ Dwalin, son of Fundin _ pushes his way into his smial, asking bluntly where the food is.

**181.) Jewelry—**

When Thráin disappears into the Wild without a trace, he takes Durin's Ring with him—but Thorin thinks he does not mind that such an heirloom has been lost...not when magic, its benefactors and its effects, have done nothing but harm to his people.

**182.) Bacon—**

Óin knows that Master Baggins is upset about something as the dwarf carries a plate full of bacon from the pantry to the dining room...but his hands are full and he has no chance to pull out his ear horn, so he assumes someone else (perhaps a bit more diplomatic than him) will take care of placating the hobbit, and continues on his merry way.

**183.) Rage—**

Smaug the Magnificent—Smaug the  _ Stupendous _ , Smaug the  _ Impenetrable _ —is roused from his slumber at last when he realizes that someone (someone who has passed beneath his all-seeing gaze!) has stolen a golden goblet from his vast horde...and such rage and hatred fills his being that he leaves his mountain for the first time in decades, decimating the mountainsides in his attempt to find him who would  _ dare _ steal his treasure.

**184.) Run-down—**

No one can quite remember when or where Bofur got that thrice-damned hat…but everybody agrees that it’s disgusting and smelly and quite possibly molding—and that at the first chance, someone should burn it to ashes.

**185.) Veteran—**

Ori never expected to fight in a battle, let alone  _ survive _ one—and he thinks that he should have died rather than his friends, that the quiet, useless scribe should have been killed so that the brave, charismatic princes could live…because they deserved so much more than this life ever gave them.

**186.) Phobia—**

Fifty-four-year-old Thorin knows that he needs to get over himself, knows that he needs to start helping his father lead their people…but even though months have passed since the battle at Azanulbizar, he cannot stand the heat of a fire or the clashing of metal, because all he can see is his brother’s vacant eyes, his brother lying in a pool of his own blood, his brother’s sword too far away to have been of any use, his brother  _ far too young _ to have even  _ thought _ of joining that battlefield…and he will never allow himself to forget the sight of his brother burning with the rest in the funeral pyres, his beautiful hair and his laughing eyes and his boundless energy lost to the world forever.

**187.) Miracle—**

Dís cannot help but hope every morning that she will wake to hear her brother blundering around the kitchen, see her sons chasing each other around the training fields of the settlement in Ered Luin…but every morning she forces herself to realize that she is in Erebor, and the royal quarters are filled with strangers, and even the greatest magic of the elves cannot help her broken family now.

**188.) Test—**

Fíli acts like his swords are extensions of his very self, moves and weaves and  _ flows _ with them like it's second nature—and while Kíli is talented with the sword as well, there's...something missing; on a whim, Dwalin goes to the very back of the armory, makes both brothers swear not to tell their uncle (at least for now), and says, "Here, lad, let's try you on a bow."

**189.) Selfish—**

Some might call Thorin Oakenshield selfish and impatient and heartless for single-mindedly marching on the mountain...but he has seen too much death, seen exactly what this exile has done to his people, and knows he isn't just doing this for himself—even if it kills him, he is determined to reclaim this mountain, for his people deserve the life it promises all of them.

**190.) Abuse—**

Dwarven bodies are tough by nature; they're designed to withstand nearly anything thrown at them...but on the clifftop, as Thorin feels the warg teeth pierce his shoulder and hears Azog's cruel laughter, he knows he has been pushed far past his limits...and all he can think is that in the end, he will always,  _ always _ fail.

**191.) Pink—**

Ori feels his face flushing as he presents Master Baggins with the drawing he's been working on during their stay in Laketown—a portrait of their burglar that he considers to be one of his best works yet...and he is rewarded by Bilbo's surprised exclamation and wide, honest smile as he looks up and promises to cherish such a gift for the rest of his days.

**192.) Forest—**

Bilbo remembers the tall, cheerful trees in the forests of the Shire, looks up at the dark, impenetrable foliage of Mirkwood...and wishes more than anything to be back home, safe and sound in Bag End.

**193.) Nothing—**

Elrond has lived for thousands of years; he has survived countless, nameless atrocities that are only whispered about in the darkest of shadows today; he is one of the wisest creatures in Middle Earth…but he has never seen anything quite as shocking as when he and Lindir turn a corner to find the dwarves of Erebor dancing, stark-naked, in one of Rivendell’s priceless fountains.

**194.) Fortress—**

Gandalf worries for Thorin Oakenshield even as he and Radagast approach Dol Guldur; Mirkwood is by no means safe, and even though he knows that ridding this fortress of whatever darkness lies within trumps the dwarves’ quest by a mile, he cannot help but be concerned for the company of mortals he is leaving behind.

**195.) Return—**

"Thorin, please, when can we go home?"—but ten-year-old Dís' sobs go unanswered, because her big brother (still only a child himself) cannot possibly know the answer.

**196.) Tremor—**

Dwalin is old, now, even by dwarf standards; he is one of the few still alive to tell the children of the reclamation of Erebor and of the glory of Thrór’s line…he is happy to oblige the eager dwarflings, of course, happy to make sure the legends of his closest friends live on—but he finds that his hands (scarred and twisted by age and labor and war) never cease trembling when he recalls the past, and no matter how long it has been, he has to fight back the tears that form in his failing eyes.

**197.) Betray—**

Some may worry at Thorin's choice of companions—family aside: a flighty wizard, a soft hobbit, a madman and a thief and others never bred for war do not seem the wisest choice of war party to reclaim the mountain from a dragon...but Thorin knows the mettle of each and every one of these dwarves, and Gandalf's face was drawn and serious when they discussed their plans in Bree, and while he may not trust their burglar to know his way around a sword...Thorin can see that he is an honest creature, and, despite their misgivings, that he will see this quest through to the end.

**198.) Fly—**

Later, Nori will poke fun at his brothers about how they’re the first dwarves to ever fly, will slap Ori on the back and tease Dori about how he’s getting too old for these things—though his eyes are full of terrified relief, and he will deny to the end of his days that his entire world nearly shattered that night, when Dori lost his grip and they both fell into empty space—and none of them mention it again when he lets out a badly-stifled sob and pulls them both into a rib-cracking hug.

**199.) Trapped—**

Kíli has never handled cramped spaces well, and the cell—truly nothing more than a storage cupboard—the elves have put him into is dark and damp and confining; he curls into himself on top of the blankets they have given them, with his knees to his chest and his fingers tangled in his hair and his eyes squeezed shut, willing his heart to slow down and his lungs to pull in enough air and all he can think is that he’d give anything— _ anything _ —to have another person with him to ground him in reality.

**200.) Gold—**

Thorin presents the two of them with royal armor, when it is clear that this siege will end in war; and when they have donned it, standing tall before their uncle...Fíli realizes that he cannot tell if Thorin's eyes gleam with pride for his nephews, or for the fact that the elder's armor shines fiery gold in the torchlight.


	5. 201-250

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 225-227 are a set, as a 238-240, 242-243, and 246-247.
> 
> 232, I had to break my canon-only rule because I was mildly obsessed with Assassin's Creed when I was writing this lmao

**201.) Deaf—**

Óin's hearing has been deteriorating over the past several decades, so he thinks it's probably a good thing that his brother and young nephew have a tendency to shout nearly everything they say—and Glóin, for his part, neglects to tell him that he picked up the habit nearly a century ago…when his brother was still too stubborn to admit that he was going deaf.

**202.) Hallowed—**

That first night after they enter the mountain, Thorin finds himself wandering the ruined halls, catching glimpses of and wishing after the ghosts that once were…but eventually, an intense and great longing fills his mind and his soul, and he returns to the treasury, eager to find the Arkenstone of his forefathers.

**203.) Dome—**

Dwalin thinks that the Shire is a strange place, with its houses built into hills rather than mountains, and its roofs made of lush green grass rather than strong, impenetrable stone…and does not know how anyone could possibly feel safe, living here.

**204.) Natural—**

As Balin travels through the heart of the Shire to reach Bilbo Baggins, he realizes that such a strange, peaceful land (strange, especially, to him, who has known danger and war nearly all his life) fits these small people…and that despite the way his brother scoffs at their round faces and their near-defenseless homes, this is where these people belong.

**205.) Unfinished—**

Thráin knows he has unfinished business with the monsters who stole his father away from him, and he tells Thorin as much before he leaves with Balin and Dwalin—and while such rage is understandable, nobody (including him) is quite sure what he expects to do about it as he runs off into the Wild, never to return.

**206.) Language—**

"So what's the best way to talk with you, then, if I'm not allowed to learn your secret language?"—Bifur looks at Bilbo Baggins' face, sees the honesty in his eyes, and knows the hobbit truly does want to be able to communicate with him…and such elation fills him that he grins hugely (a bit wildly, perhaps) and pulls the hobbit into a tight embrace.

**207.) Tune—**

Bilbo is beyond surprised when he stumbles into a corner of the treasury he has not yet been to, and finds Thorin—instead of searching tirelessly for the Arkenstone, the king has settled beside a beautiful golden harp, playing a quiet tune and humming along, his eyes closed and a small smile on his face; Bilbo retreats quickly, not wanting to interrupt…but he realizes that in all the time they've traveled together, he doesn't think he's ever seen Thorin so peaceful and happy.

**208.) Blue—**

Bilbo realizes that as a wizard, Gandalf must have a lot on his mind, a lot of important things to remember…but  _ how on Earth _ could he possibly forget the names of two of his closest relations?

**209.) Inheritance—**

It's weighed heavy on Fíli's shoulders for the past eighty-two years, the fact that when his time comes, he will inherit the throne of the greatest dwarf kingdom in Middle Earth…and even as Thorin helps him prepare, every step of the way, he's not sure he'll ever be ready for such a huge responsibility.

**210.) Wraith—**

The creature Bilbo finds in the bowels of the Misty Mountains terrifies him on so many levels—but he thinks the worst is found in its size, its pointed ears and the style of its riddles…all of them indicate that, at one point, this wraith may have been a hobbit, just like him.

**211.) Art—**

Everyone has always known that Ori is too slight, too gentle to ever be a great warrior…but nobody realizes his true talent until Nori comes into his room one day and finds his eighteen-year-old brother drawing a near-perfect depiction of Dori.

**212.) Essential—**

Bofur and his family have never been the richest—Bifur is a toymaker (the best in the Blue Mountains, but the market for such things has always been small); Bombur is a cook; Bofur works where he can, rotating between mining and any other odd jobs he can find…and while times have always been hard, especially with so many small mouths to feed, they have never truly wanted for anything…because family is all they'll really ever need.

**213.) Traitor—**

Thorin has come to respect their burglar as they traveled together; though the hobbit will never be a warrior, he is clearly a kind-hearted, honest person, and his skills at stealth are superior to any dwarf's; but all of that is shattered when Bard presents him with the Arkenstone—offers to trade it in exchange for gold  _ (that rightfully belongs to the dwarves of Erebor) _ —and claims he received it from Bilbo Baggins.

**214.) Speed—**

Dwarves may be natural sprinters, but every one of the Company is horribly winded as they finally slide down into Gandalf's secret passage, finally safe from the pack of orcs on their trail.

**215.) Card—**

Nori grins at the men in the tavern he's chosen for the night, and pulls out a deck of cards; though these disgusting, grimy men obviously think very highly of themselves (and very lowly of the dwarf who dares to challenge them at a card game), they're quite a few drinks in, and it will be no trouble at all to defeat them, win every one of their gold coins, and be out of town before sunrise.

**216.) Water—**

Bilbo recognizes his chance as soon as he hears of Thranduil's upcoming party…but when he realizes that the only feasible method of escape involves going down the river, he must admit that he considered letting the opportunity pass him by...because no matter how vital it is that they get to Erebor as soon as possible, he cannot swim, and if he drowns before even making it to Laketown, the entire quest will be for naught.

**217.) Roses—**

Dís knows that usually, especially among nobility, dwarven courting involves exchanging of precious gems and intricate works of art in whatever medium the giver specializes; but she is a descendant of a broken line, full of broken kings, and Vali is not royalty in any sense; so when one day, while they're staying in a city of Men, he approaches her with a bouquet of red roses and a deep blush staining his cheeks to match, she accepts them with a hug and a smile full of genuine gratitude—because even if this isn't the  _ proper _ way to do such things, she doesn't think she cares...no when she's never loved anyone more in her entire life.

**218.) Paralyze—**

Gimli refuses to heed the sinking feeling in his gut as they approach Erebor; the letter sent to Ered Luin stated clearly that the mountain was reclaimed, that they are working with the elves and men to restore both Erebor and Dale to their former glory…but it's only when his father greets him and his mother at the gates, accompanied by nine of the Company, standing with plastered smiles and haunted eyes, does he realize that there's something wrong…and when he does, he freezes—his friends are missing, his  _ king _ is missing, and an unfamiliar dwarf with a great crown upon his head is pulling a stone-faced Lady Dís to the side…and suddenly,  _ everything is wrong. _

**219.) Grim—**

Thorin clearly does his best to hide it from them, but Fíli watches through the years as grey streaks permeate his uncle's hair, as deep creases mar his brow and his mouth is almost constantly downturned into a frown…and he thinks he'd do anything—venture through the fires of Mordor, fight an entire army, even give up his own life—if only to see Thorin truly happy again.

**220.) Sky—**

Kíli's final moments are full of desperation and agony and despair…but then all of that is gone, and he is standing tall beside his brother; both of them are whole and hale, and they are walking under a cloudless sky toward a dwarf with blond hair and a proud smile, who Kíli has not seen for nearly seventy years.

**221.) Oak—**

Were Frerin alive to see it, Thorin knows, he would laugh himself silly at his older brother's new epithet—at the fact that he earned it because he couldn't keep hold of his strong, dwarven shield and had to resort to something a tree-shagger would use, instead.

**222.) Spite—**

Thranduil knows perfectly well what these dwarves are doing in his forest—he recognizes several of the older ones from his dealings with Erebor in the past, after all; however, he knows that should they wake Smaug, it will spell nothing but doom for both his kingdom and the city of Laketown…and no matter how much he grieves the loss of the mountain and its treasures, such things are worth nobody's life.

**223.) Bear—**

Bilbo has known all his life that hobbits are some of the smallest creatures in Middle Earth…but that doesn't stop the  _ sheer terror  _ coursing through him as he looks up (and up and up) at Gandalf's skinchanger "friend."

**224.) Leather—**

Kíli is astonished that Master Baggins sees fit to go adventuring across half of Middle Earth in a velvet jacket and silk scarf—they'll be torn to pieces in no time at all, and he wonders whether one of them shouldn't give the hobbit one of their spare leather outfits, if only to better protect him from the dangers of the Wild.

**225.) Thin—**

Glóin feels himself wearing thin after the battle, but he and Dori are two of the few in the Company who are relatively uninjured, enough to go out and search for survivors—the young princes, Nori, and Bombur are still missing, and Thorin (the healers are doing their best, but his wounds are grave) asks after his nephews…and so the two of them leave the camps in silence, swallow the terror rising in their hearts, and can only hope to Mahal that their companions are still alive.

**226.) Invincible—**

Dori is several yards away, helping a woozy Bombur walk back in the direction of the camps, when Glóin finds them—and the cry that leaves his throat does not sound at all like himself as he falls to his knees, frantically checking one and then the other for a pulse even as he knows they are far beyond help; Dori and Bombur hear his scream and rush over, and the elder collapses to the ground when he sees: Kíli, run through by a spear, and Fíli, his chest crushed to pieces…their hands are clasped tightly together, and tear tracks stain the younger's face; and Glóin's hands are shaking so badly with his grief that, at first, it is impossible for him to separate their hands so he can lift Kíli's limp form into his arms.

**227.) Grief—**

Bofur is the first to see them as they return to the mountain, rushing forward to embrace his brother tightly and ensuring that he is not injured…but then he notices the tears staining Bombur's face, and looks past him to see Glóin and Dori walking in slowly, their steps heavy and great burdens in their arms; Bofur recognizes the golden hair of the elder prince and immediately looks around for a spare healer to help them, but Bombur grabs his arm, shaking his head, and Bofur's whole world falls apart as his brother says, "There is nothing to be done."

**228.) Creep—**

Nori's rather insulted when Gandalf says they need a hobbit to sneak past enemies and get into the mountain unnoticed—after all, as much as his fellows have absolutely no talent at stealth, he's made a career of it, and he's sure that whatever this  _ hobbit _ would be able to do, he can do it faster, quieter, and with more dead enemies as a result.

**229.) Machinations—**

Thorin scowls at Gandalf and Elrond as they discuss something in low Elvish at dinner; he has known since the start that the wizard has ulterior motives to aiding them in this quest, but it doesn't sit right with him, not knowing exactly what his goals are…whether he would sacrifice this Company in order to meet his own ends.

**230.) Fluff—**

Eight-year-old Kíli cries for days when his stuffed cat—well-loved and much-abused—breaks apart at the seams…and finally Dís, in desperation, goes to the markets and finds a toymaker adept enough at sewing—the dwarf has an axe embedded in his forehead, but from what she can make out from his badly-slurred Khuzdul, smiling face, and enthusiastic hand gestures, he's kind and willing enough to help her…and within an hour, he's returned Mewy, good as new, and refuses any sort of payment she tries to offer him.

**231.) Fireflies—**

Belladonna laughs along with her husband as seven-year-old Bilbo runs toward them, his clasped hands glowing from the firefly he has caught…and as she looks around the field, full of the bright, blinking lights that have so entranced her son, she doesn't think she's ever been so content in all her life.

**232.) Assassin—**

None of the dwarves have any time to react before the man in strange clothes—a white hood and robes to match, an enormous belt and tall, sturdy boots—drops out of nowhere and has a knife to Gandalf's throat—and before Thorin can draw his sword, before Balin can roar in outrage and before Fíli or Nori can throw one of their numerous knives, the man speaks in a strange accent none of them have ever heard before, looking directly at Bilbo—"Give me the Piece of Eden, or I will kill each and every one of you."

**233.) Desire—**

Thrór knows, somewhere deep within his mind, that he has nothing to worry about—the treasuries of Erebor are nowhere close to empty; his kingdom thrives under his rule; his family is happy and ever-growing, especially with the blessing of his new granddaughter…but he can't help but worry constantly—worry that he will lose his people's— _ his _ —gold, worry that  _ there's never going to be enough… _ worry that no matter how much wealth Erebor amasses behind its great walls, he will never be rich enough to be truly happy.

**234.) Ultimate—**

Fíli knows he is dead even before the mace strikes his chest, but he refuses to move, not when his uncle is injured behind him—and he hears his brother's screams, hears Thorin's roar of denial as Azog sneers down at him, but he can't find it in himself to regret his choice…because it has always been his duty to protect his family, and he knows he wouldn't want to die any other way.

**235.) Prisoner—**

Tauriel curses whoever has assigned her guard duty, for most of the dwarves are as boring as they could possibly be (and she's starting to wonder whether it's on purpose)…and the only two exceptions to the rule—the young ones, brothers—scream as loud as they can whenever they know she is within earshot, demand to be reunited with each other  _ right this instant _ , and generally cause her to be more irritated than she has been in  _ centuries. _

**236.) Pipe—**

Bilbo, rather overwhelmed by the presence of _ thirteen dwarves in his dining room, _ retreats to the bathroom to splash some water on his face…but evidently, one of  _ them _ has gotten there first—the stench is near-unbearable, and Bilbo immediately regrets forcing himself to look in the toilet bowl before he rushes out of the room.

**237.) Judgment—**

Balin knows that, normally, scribe apprenticeships cost a great amount of money, that only nobles can train under masters like him…but he looks at Dori's clenched jaw and clenched fists, sees little eighteen-year-old Ori (so, so small—he'll never be a warrior) standing beside his elder brother and clutching some truly amazing artwork…and knows he will make an exception for them.

**238.) Help—**

Bombur can hardly breathe as he drags his cousin toward the medical tents after the battle at Moria; Bifur is still alive, but an orc had gotten past his defenses, embedding an axe in his forehead…and though others would say he is a lost cause, Bombur is just young and foolish enough to hope, and he is prepared to beg on his knees before the healers if that is what it takes for them to try and save his cousin.

**239.) Almighty—**

Thorin enters the camps after the battle in a haze, Frerin's ruined body clutched tightly in his numb arms; he barely notices Balin and Dwalin's grief (for their father fell, several yards from Frerin, his face twisted in horror and his throat ripped out by a warg); he barely notices anything at all until a healer gently tries to pry his brother from his arms—he lets out a strangled yell and only clutches him tighter, tears streaming down his cheeks, and it is only when his father finds them, his face crumpling in grief as he sees Frerin's body, that Thorin is finally convinced to relinquish his brother to the fields of the dead.

**240.) Unexpected—**

Thorin only wanders the camps blindly, barely noticing anything at all until a ruckus from a nearby tent catches his attention; a young, red-haired dwarf is begging a healer for help, but the dwarf refuses, saying there is no help to be given; a still form covered in blood is laid out on a shield behind him…and Thorin walks up slowly, taking in the way the healer snaps to attention, the way the younger dwarf turns in desperation (he doesn't recognize Thorin—he's not from Erebor, then), and he says, "Is he your brother?"—"As good as," the dwarf says, his hands twisting around each other but his eyes meeting Thorin's bravely—and Thorin nods to the healer: "Do all you can for him—too many brothers have been lost this day."—and he claps the red-haired dwarf on the shoulder, sharing his grief for a moment before walking away.

**241.) Antique—**

"That's my mother's West Farthing pottery—it's over a hundred years old!"—Fíli shrugs mentally to himself before continuing to throw his brother the dishes, because Thorin is twice that age, and Balin and Óin are even older—and anyhow, they're just plates and silverware...not anything of great importance, and not anything he's broken during such roughhousing in more than three decades.

**242.) Vacant—**

Gimli spends days in the catacombs after he arrives in Erebor, curled up against the stone tombs of his friends (the closest he can get to them, now, and the closest he will ever be), sobbing over the names and dates and titles and useless,  _ useless  _ accolades when all he wants are his cousins returned to him again.

**243.) Breakdown—**

It is nearly two days before the nobles, the diplomats and the trade agreements allow Dís the mercy to venture to the catacombs of Erebor; she makes her way down flight after flight, her hands shaking and tears already forming in her eyes as her jaw clenches convulsively; and when she arrives at last, sees the three beautiful tombs that hold the last of her family, she breaks—and it is a very long time before she can think through her grief  _ (they're dead they're dead they're dead I'm never going to see them again Mahal help me  _ ** _I cannot do this_ ** _ ) _ , before she registers the presence of another: her kin, his tufty, untrimmed beard bristling against her neck as he clutches her tightly, his sobs echoing with her own as they scream out to those who will never answer them again.

**244.) Transparent—**

Bilbo is preparing to be knocked out and eaten by this wraith in the bowels of the mountains, resigning himself to never seeing his companions or sunlight or the wonderful Shire ever again—he has fallen awkwardly on his back, and he knows he does not have enough time to scramble up to draw his sword—but then the ring on his finger seems to pulse, and the monster's eerie gaze goes right through him, and before Bilbo knows what is happening, it's running down the pathway again, leaving him completely alone.

**245.) Pride—**

Even more than a century after their home is lost, Thorin still clings to those few shreds of pride that he can still claim as his own—those that will allow his father's and grandfather's and brother's memories to live on, and those that will allow his remaining family to live in as much comfort as possible, because his sister and nephews deserve everything (and more) that his damned lowliness is able to offer them.

**246.) Mask—**

"So after Bard killed the dragon, Thorin got his mountain back, right?"—Bilbo looks down at the small horde of fauntlings at his feet, with their wide eyes and their innocent smiles and…"Yes, he did, Pippin," he says at length, and something in his chest crumbles as he continues, "Thorin became King of his mountain again, and Fíli and Kíli are his heirs, and to this day Erebor thrives under their rule."

**247.) Agony—**

It's only later, when Frodo and Bilbo go back to Bag End for supper, that Frodo notices the tightness of his uncle's lips, the wetness in his eyes that he's blinking back desperately as he prepares their food…and Frodo feels his stomach drop as he realizes—"Thorin was never King of Erebor, was he?"…and though he does not receive an answer, Bilbo's shaking hands and the tears now dropping into the stew reveal the truth all too clearly.

**248.) Mine—**

Bofur knows that he need not work anymore, as he and his family are rich beyond imagining after the reclamation of Erebor…but somehow, the monotonous work in the mines calms him, soothes his mind and distracts him from dark thoughts that reappear even so many years after the battle.

**249.) Daydream—**

It's decades later—Bilbo's hair is going grey, though his steps are as sprightly as they ever have been—when there's a loud knock at the door; he hurries down the hall, assuming it's one of Frodo's friends come to make mischief—but when he opens it, he is greeted by a dwarf with dark, greying hair and blue clothing—and he almost collapses, because  _ it's Thorin, it has to be Thorin _ —but of course it isn't  _ (of course it isn't _ ), and the figure is ever-so-slightly feminine under the layers and layers of traveling clothes, and then  _ Dís, daughter of Thráin _ is smiling wanly at him and asking if he might allow her inside.

**250.) Scent—**

Glóin's never felt more affronted in his life, tied up in this burlap sack; no matter what the burglar claims, dwarves can't possibly smell  _ that _ bad—and anyhow, the  _ hobbit _ is the one covered in troll bogeys.


	6. 251-300

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 259-260 are a set.   
253 is an accompaniment to #200, Gold.

**251.) Exile—**

It's pouring down rain in late autumn—little Fíli is shivering, bundled against Thorin's chest under his coat and  _ it is not enough _ —they're nearing a town of Men, he knows, but Dís' heavy belly does not allow them to travel quickly; the pony carries her and a few of their meager belongings, and Vali carries the rest—but then Dís lets out a cry, the likes of which Thorin has not heard from her in five years…and he knows they are out of time.

**252.) Bull's eye—**

Kíli thinks Thorin might actually kill Dwalin when they tell him that he's been training on a bow…but after they bring him out to the training fields and Kíli makes several bull's-eyes in a row, Thorin's face is nothing but open and amazed, and he claps Kíli warmly on the shoulder—"I've never been more proud of you."

**253.) Swell—**

Thorin knows he has been harsh with his nephews and his kin and his Company, since they entered the mountain…but he knows he has to make amends, at least with Fíli and Kíli, upon this eve of battle—and so he takes them to the armory (pretends not to notice the way they trail several steps behind, and does not attempt to listen to their whispered conversation) and he finds the armor that was made upon his and Frerin's births; he gifts his own to Fíli and his brother's to Kíli, and strangely enough, they fit without adjustment—and he cannot help the pride that grows within him as he looks upon them— _ his heirs, his sister's sons _ —standing resplendent in precious metals and jewels as they should have been all their lives.

**254.) Children—**

Dori is more than astonished, when they're traveling through the Shire toward Master Baggins' home, by just how many  _ children _ there are here; dwarves are considered blessed if they have one or two children—more than that is practically a miracle—but here, he sees children by the dozen running around with each other in the fading light, their parents nowhere nearby to protect them from any dangers that may present themselves.

**255.) Power—**

Thranduil may be lord of these lands, Thorin thinks sullenly as he is handled roughly into the dungeons, but east of the forest is ruled by  _ dwarves _ …and he'll be damned if he lets Thranduil so much as see a single gold coin from Thrór's treasuries.

**256.) Mourn—**

"Fíli, Kíli, don't even  _ think  _ about it!"—and it's only when the troublemakers turn around to look at him, confusion clear on their faces, that Bilbo realizes his mistake—these two have short, curly hair and waistcoats, and there is not a steel-toed boot in sight, and he nearly collapses to the ground…because no matter how much these two might remind him of his friends from so long ago, Meriadoc Brandybuck and Peregrin Took are not the dwarves he so wishes to see again.

**257.) Space—**

Bilbo learns the hard way that Dwalin is not a morning person, and spends the rest of the week skittering around him, riding with Ori or the princes instead and shooting the huge dwarf short, terrified glances every few minutes.

**258.) Cool—**

"It makes me look  _ cool! _ " a nine-year-old Thorin insists, scowling at his father and grandfather (the latter tries and fails to hide his smile) and clutching Balin's mace as it trails behind him—it's twice his size and at least thrice his weight, but he clutches it valiantly like the great hero he is, lifting his chin (he colored it with charcoal, because  _ warriors  _ have  _ beards _ ) and glaring up at them defiantly.

**259.) Diamond—**

Thorin sighs and pretends to be reluctant that seven-year-old Kíli has pulled him into yet another of his games…but he steps outside into the snow without complaint, laughing loudly and honestly as he sees the small snowman his nephews have built—coal dust from the forge has been smeared around the face in a crude representation of his own beard, and a branch from the nearby oak tree is propped up against its side…and he knows that these boys (Fíli is hurling snowballs at him as quickly as his little hands can make them, and Kíli squeals as Thorin picks him up and sets him on his shoulders as they charge after his brother) are more important to him than any precious gem, any mighty throne, could ever be.

**260.) Broken—**

…And seventy years later, a dying Thorin cannot hold back his heaving sobs as he looks into Fíli's vacant eyes on the horrific battlefield, feels the dead weight of Kíli's body draped over his own in a last-ditch effort to protect him from Azog's guard, and he knows that he has committed the gravest of sins; all he can remember now are the small dwarflings that hung off his arm and all but idolized him and nagged and prodded and irritated and  _ loved  _ him, they loved him  _ so much _ and—Mahal save him—he has killed them, he has tossed away their lives for stone and gold and greed and he would do anything to get them back, give up the Arkenstone and every last bit of gold and even this thrice-damned  _ mountain _ if only it would make his precious nephews live again.

**261.) Shadow—**

Balin has known that this is a nearly hopeless mission from the start…but as he lies dying in the darkness of Durin’s kingdom, Ori’s terrified voice echoing as if from a great distance above him, he wishes he had not brought so many others to their inevitable deaths.

**262.) Line—**

Thorin is astonished at the larger-than-normal crowd that has gathered in the forge today; after all, they’re spending a few months in a town of Men, and the people seem—at best—wary of the small group of dwarves…but then he realizes that the majority of his customers are women, and Dwalin’s face is turning near-purple as he keeps a keen eye on Fíli and Kíli; Vali is working in the mines, and Dís has fallen ill, so Thorin has been forced to watch over his young nephews for the day despite the dangers such a workplace poses—but he realizes that this may not be such a bad idea after all, as the women coo over his nephews and readily hand over plenty of gold for their purchases.

**263.) News—**

Bard hastens through the camps after the terrible battle, searching for Thorin Oakenshield—he and King Thranduil have readily agreed to put aside any and all differences in order to help save as many as possible, and so he is ready to offer whatever is necessary to help the dwarves with their wounded…but no matter how many faces he sees, no matter how many dwarves he asks, nobody knows where the dwarven king is—until the huge bald dwarf he met in Laketown—Dwalin—exits a tent, covered in blood with tears leaking from his eyes…and when Bard asks him for news of the king, he is only able to choke out, “There’s nothing to be done—if you want negotiations, speak with Dáin,” before limping away with trembling shoulders.

**264.) Sour—**

Beorn has never much liked dwarves, with their disregard for most living things and their obsession with useless jewels and metals…but the little bunny intrigues him, and anyone being chased by Azog the Defiler must be decent folk—and so despite his doubts as to Thorin Oakenshield’s character, he sends them on their way with full packs and strong ponies, hoping they—at the very least—will kill that thrice-cursed monster before he takes any more lives.

**265.) Treason—**

The captain of the guard wakes up with a pounding headache and a stiff neck; he’s slouched over in his chair, and his keys are on the tabletop— _ definitely _ not where he left them last night…and the first thought that runs through his head as he hears pounding footsteps coming from down the hall is that the king is going to  _ murder  _ him if he messed anything up last night when he was supposed to be guarding those half-witted dwarves.

**266.) Eternal—**

Dwalin signs up for the quest readily, not giving a second thought to the inherent dangers or the improbability of success or the damned  _ dragon _ at the end; after all, he has sworn for more than a century to protect Thrór’s line, and he’ll let himself be torn apart by wargs and orcs and every manner of foul beast before he allows any harm to come to them.

**267.) Clash—**

Dori, Nori, and Ori may not always see eye to eye, but there’s no question of their fraternal loyalty; the dwarves stupid enough to threaten Dori or Ori have a poisoned knife to the throat in the blink of an eye; Dori ignores more than most of Nori’s activities and covers for him against the guard more times than he cares to count; and Ori—small, timid Ori who nobody has ever thought would amount to anything—has chased vagabonds and thieves and all manner of ne’er-do-wells out of their shop with an enormous hammer or a deadly knife, all in order to keep his brothers safe.

**268.) Matter—**

“I’m fine—it’s nothing—it doesn’t matter…” but Hobson Gamgee isn’t so sure Bilbo’s telling the truth, in the months after he returns from that hare-brained adventure…not when, more than once, he’s walked in on him crying over his mother’s glory box, or a shiny shirt made of—of all things!—silver chain links, or a drawing or a note on a tattered piece of parchment or anything else that seems to be of no value to anyone but Bilbo himself.

**269.) Infect—**

“We don’t have parasites— _ you  _ have parasites!”—and this, Thorin laments as he rolls his eyes at his younger nephew, is exactly why he was wary of allowing his nephews to come along on this journey in the first place.

**270.) Psychology—**

“Promise me you’ll be safe— _ both _ of you—and write me as soon as you reach Erebor, you understand?”—and Kíli pretends to brush his mother off, promising flippantly that they’ll be  _ fine, _ that they’ll be rolling in gold and have thousands of gifts for her when she arrives at the mountain…but he pockets the small talisman she gives him— _ Durin, _ it says, a reminder of their birthright and their heritage—and he guards it jealously throughout the journey: nearly panicking when the goblins search him, refusing to give it up to the Mirkwood Elves when they try to confiscate it…and tucking it into a pocket carefully as he and Fíli don their battle armor, preparing to fight for the home their mother has wished after for all these years.

**271.) Human—**

Hobbits are a mutant offshoot of Men, right?—and so Bofur thinks (at the very start, mind you—Balin nearly smacks him the next day when he hears) that it’s rational to assume that Bilbo—with his smooth chin, his delicate features, and his near-obsession with dishes and doilies—must be a female hobbit.

**272.) Autumn—**

Fíli is born in early autumn, with a bright shock of his father’s hair and his mother’s blue eyes; and when he is handed to Thorin for the first time—when the king holds his tiny, innocent heir in his enormous, scarred arms and looks down upon his sister’s son…he smiles for the first time in a long, long time, because no matter how much he has done wrong in the past, no matter how hopeless their situation seems right now (wandering and homeless as they are), there, at least, is this bright new life in their world…and he will make sure this young lad will not make his uncle’s mistakes.

**273.) Bright—**

Glóin doesn’t pay much mind to the dwarves of the Blue Mountains, when they first settle there—after all, he has to set up a home and a business, assist his king and his kin in any way he can…but when he finally does start to pay attention, one dwarrowdam catches his eye—and he finds that he can’t breathe...not when her beautiful figure, her golden hair, her magnificent beard, and her incredible, imposing bearing cannot possibly be real.

**274.) Threat—**

Ori doesn’t even think before he reacts to the Goblin King’s threat; Kíli, of course, is the youngest—any idiot could see that, for he’s skinny as a rail and his beard is all but invisible—but he also knows that he can’t let the youngest prince come to harm…and so he gasps loudly, shrinks back into Dwalin, and makes a show of pretending to be terrified…because he’s the only one who could pass as younger than Kíli, and he’ll be damned if he allows Thorin’s nephew to come to harm when he could have done something to stop it.

**275.) Night—**

Thorin can’t stand it—walking home from the forge late at night, stopping for a pint in the tavern after a long week, or simply going out to buy supplies for his family—he’s spat upon and ignored and threatened by the men he works for—by the men he lives alongside, by the men who buy his products for their  _ dwarven craftsmanship _ —and more than once, he has had to draw a sword or a knife or an axe, defending himself against those who seek to harm him for simply  _ existing _ in their small corner of the world.

**276.) Lament—**

It’s several hours later when Bilbo comes back to himself; his head still pounds like a second heart, and someone—Gandalf, likely—has wrapped him in a warm blanket…but he forces himself to his feet, because he knows that no matter how much he is hurting because of Thorin’s death, there are others who must be far beyond tears in their grief—but when he asks Balin of Fíli and Kíli, whether they’ve been told and whether Fíli must, by necessity, accept the crown…the old dwarf’s face crumples in pain, and Bilbo’s knees give out as he says, “Fíli and Kíli…were slain, defending their king’s body.”

**277.) Hypnotize—**

Bifur knows that he scares many of the people he meets, but he also knows that he can do little about it; and so he spends his time in his toyshop, whittling and carving and welding and creating all manner of entertainment for children—and the little ones (men and dwarves alike) flock to his shop, despite their parents’ reservations, and everything— _ all _ of it, the excruciating headaches and the lapses in attention and the sideways looks from everyone he meets—is forgotten when their little faces light up in wonder and amazement as they see his toys.

**278.) Spirit—**

Gandalf has walked this earth for two thousand years and has existed beyond it for far longer; he should not allow himself to become attached to the mortals, because he knows that they, inevitably, will pass on, leaving him behind; but there is something about Merry and Pippin (young— _ far _ too young to join such a hopeless quest) that reminds him of two dwarven princes lost to this world so long ago, and it pains him beyond reason that he will likely see these hobbits fall to that same fate long before their time.

**279.) Siren—**

The men of Dale stand no chance, even as their archers scramble to their positions and take aim…desperately hoping that they can fell the monstrous beast that is hell-bent on destroying their happiness and their homes and their lives.

**280.) Throne—**

The Master does not see thirteen bedraggled dwarves and a half-drowned halfling upon his shores; all he can see are those who will bring him the gold he wants  _ (needs) _ ; all he can see is the grand kings of old who lived with rivers of gold and jewels beneath their feet; all he can see is the great doors of Erebor opened to him (and  _ only _ him, for dwarves are lesser beings who deserve no such treasures), the dragon dead and gone and the halls clear for him to claim what is rightfully his.

**281.) Pepper—**

The first streak of grey Thorin finds in his hair isn't seen so much as a surprise as the inevitable; after all, he's nearing a hundred and forty, and though that would be considered a normal dwarf's prime, he has been leading a lost and homeless people on his own for nearly forty years…and such stress will, invariably, have side effects.

**282.) Around—**

Ori has never been more terrified in his entire life—the orc army approaches steadily even as the armies of the Free Peoples quarrel at Erebor's gates, and his companions are arming for war; Fíli and Kíli and Thorin stand in what must surely be royal armor, while the rest have found lesser (but no less impressive) mail with which to protect themselves; Nori clutches an enormous mace, so much larger than the one he lost in Mirkwood, and his eyes are gentle as he leads Ori toward the armory and helps him find a hammer and armor—after all, as much as Ori wishes this was not necessary, there is no way around this: war is looming, and he will have to fight.

**283.) Dragon—**

Thorin feels dread as he has not in more than a century, as he and the rest watch Bilbo disappear through the hidden door; despite his bravado, despite his conviction that Erebor  _ will  _ be returned to them, he can't help but realize that, more than likely, he has just sent this child of the kindly West to a horrible death by teeth or claws or fire.

**284.) Regret—**

Thranduil knows he has not ever been the kindest to Thorin Oakenshield—and while he does not regret many of his decisions (for attacking the dragon would only have brought more bloodshed, and allowing the dwarves passage through his forests would have been akin to killing every one of his subjects), he does mourn in the catacombs of the mountain for the kings of the past…and for the kings that could have been.

**285.) Resurrection—**

Bofur is nearing three hundred years old when he lies on his deathbed, surrounded by his nephews and nieces and their children and  _ their  _ children; and by the door is Dwalin, old, old Dwalin—three hundred twenty and still going strong despite his trembling hands and his failing eyesight—and Bofur knows that they are the last two…that the other eleven and Dís and Dáin and Bilbo and even  _ Gandalf _ have passed before—and he feels overwhelming relief and happiness that he will be reunited with them in Mahal's halls, but he mourns for Dwalin—the stalwart warrior who threw his life away more times than he can count and still came out alive…who will now be all alone in the mountain with the ghosts of those he once knew.

**286.) Thief—**

Nori laughs aloud—a true, honest laugh—on their journey through the Shire, when more than once, a tiny hobbit child stares with wide eyes and open mouth at his hair; the braver ones come up to him and ask to touch it, and though Dori scoffs and Ori laughs nervously and the hobbit parents seem aghast (and not a little terrified) at the prospect of  _ dwarves _ on their front lawn, Nori always indulges them…because it has been far too long since anyone—young or old—has looked at him with anything but mistrust or hatred or fear in their eyes.

**287.) Protect—**

Ori knows that they cannot get out, knows that the pounding drums and the wails of the dying and the tomb of his friend behind him have all but rung his death knell; but he clutches his journal tight, lifts a sword in his steady hands, and prepares to go down like the warrior he's always wished he could be…a dwarf his friends and family would be proud to call their own.

**288.) Ancestors—**

Fíli is nineteen years old and late for his lessons; Kíli sits in his seat with a dark look on his face as he nearly rips the parchment with his violent quill strokes, and Balin quickly surmises that the two of them have been fighting…but he has no idea of where to find the elder child, not until he passes the hall to the catacombs of Ered Luin and hears a familiar voice sobbing quietly from within; he walks in carefully, going further in to find Fíli curled up next to his father's grave, his cheek pressed against the tomb as he whispers indistinctly to the unhearing, lifeless stone.

**289.) Fill—**

Bilbo Baggins is forty-four when he inherits Bag End; despite how long he has lived in this house with his parents, it's only when he returns from his mother's funeral that he realizes how large and  _ empty _ it is without his mother's singing emanating from the sitting room, or his father's quiet muttering from the study as he pored over old books and maps.

**290.) Xenophobia—**

Legolas does not care much for dwarves, but elves are not heartless; he saw the way the youngest could barely keep his feet during their trip inside, saw the way the largest was barely lucid, his face pale as a sheet and eyes glassy and confused as he tried to keep up with his surroundings…and he checks on them often, ensuring they are all getting enough nourishment to fight off the spiders' venom in their systems and restore what weight they have surely lost from starvation.

**291.) Applause—**

The expedition to Khazad-dûm is sent off with fanfares and applause and all manner of celebration…but Nori watches his little brother go with solemn eyes; he's walking with Óin, and he turns to give his brothers a cheery wave and a wide smile **—** but Nori can't help but think that this will probably be the last time he will ever see Ori alive.

**292.) New—**

Thorin looks dubiously at the squalling bundle in his mother's arms; his parents call it Dís, are nearly crying for joy because this, apparently, is a  _ baby girl; _ but he can't help but be unimpressed, because all she seems to be able to do is scream—and even Frerin, young as he is, is at least able to run and play with him every day.

**293.) Construct—**

Gimli knows that he will, eventually, come to know Erebor as his home…but this stone is foreign to him, and he misses their rooms in Ered Luin, and even as restoration of the mountain gets truly underway, he can't help but wish that the mountain had never been reclaimed at all, especially at the cost of an entire line of kings...because as great a ruler as Dáin surely is, he can never be Thorin Oakenshield.

**294.) Shoot—**

Fíli's memories of his father are clear, and he misses him dearly—he remembers sitting together at night before a blazing fire, after Kíli was put to bed; he remembers hair the color of sunlight; he remembers a thick, braided moustache and a full beard adorned with beads and memorials of battles and those long lost…but most of all, he remembers his father's unerring skill with a bow, and when Dwalin pulls out a bow for forty-year-old Kíli to try, he recognizes the engravings along the wood and nearly breaks then and there…because he remembers watching in wonder as his father etched those same runes into that same weapon nearly four decades ago ago.

**295.) Rebellion—**

Frerin has always been the rebel of the family, even beside his stubborn, willful brother and his often wrathful sister; he has always been the one to get into trouble, the one who always got into scrapes with wolves and orcs and anyone else who dared threaten his family—but as he watches helplessly from the ground, his leg hopelessly mangled by a warg and an orc's mace bearing down on his chest, he wishes he could have heeded his brother's pleas and stayed home with Dís…not for his own sake, but for the sake of those who he knows will never forgive themselves for letting him fall in battle.

**296.) Remember—**

Bard has grown up on stories of the dwarven kings of old—such legends have been passed down from generation to generation in his family, and he's sure that, to some extent, these half-remembered stories have been idealized…but when he meets Thorin Oakenshield (more than a foot shorter than him, but what he lacks in height, he makes up for in manner and bearing thrice-fold), he realizes that the stories were not embellished at all—and no matter what Bard says, no matter how much he pleads for the dwarves to see reason, there is no way he can convince them from marching on the mountain and bringing hellfire down upon them all.

**297.) Shadow—**

Gandalf knows that something terrible resides in Dol Guldur—this horror is beyond imagining, and he knows he is outmatched even as he outruns Azog the Defiler…because the one he has long feared—Sauron, the Lord of the Rings—is still lurking, and he knows it is only a matter of time until he strikes.

**298.) Open—**

Glóin is impossibly proud when his son is born—Mizim is exhausted but healthy, and the baby already has tufts of his father's bright red hair upon his head; Óin handles the child with care as he cleans him…that is, until Gimli opens his mouth and starts to squall—his older brother shouts in surprise and— _ Mahal help him _ —drops the baby on his head; Glóin springs forward, checking desperately to see if he is all right and ready to  _ murder  _ Óin if he is not—and he fears the worst for several horrifying seconds until Gimli opens his mouth again, screws up his little red face, and only screams all the louder.

**299.) Prepare—**

Dís helps her brother and her sons pack for the quest, even as a nagging pit of dread settles in her gut; she knows that Thorin will do everything in his power to protect her sons, would rather die than return to her without them, but she still can barely hold back her tears as she hugs all three of them tightly, begging them with word and thought and heart to return to her safely…with or without her grandfather's kingdom.

**300.) Forever—**

It's far too long, in Thorin's opinion, before they are all reunited—after all, he and Fíli and Kíli have been in Mahal's halls for nearly two centuries; Dís has not stopped nagging and smothering and  _ loving _ the three of them, and Nori hasn't yet kicked his thieving habits, and Bofur still has that thrice-damned hat…but Bifur is whole and hale once again, and Óin's hearing is impeccable, and Bilbo—bless the gods, for he has been allowed passage to the Halls—is young as he has not been in decades; and when Dwalin finally arrives, centuries younger than he was on his deathbed, there are tears in everyone's eyes…because at last—at long, long last—the Company of Thorin Oakenshield is together again…and now, beyond war and heartbreak and death, they will never allow themselves to be separated again.

**Author's Note:**

> 35 is inspired by Mythopoeia's [With Shield and Body](https://archiveofourown.org/works/737591/chapters/1372245).

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Apricity](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24083149) by [sapphireswimming](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sapphireswimming/pseuds/sapphireswimming)


End file.
